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- Sep 9, 2023
- 2 min read
Through sanctification, God makes someone more holy, and more prepared to spend eternity in Heaven. God's Holy Spirit is involved in making us "set apart" just for God, in making us people God can call holy.
According to the foreknowledge of God the Father by the sanctifying work of the Spirit to be obedient to Jesus Christ and to be sprinkled with His blood: May grace and peace [that special sense of spiritual well-being] be yours in increasing abundance [as you walk closely with God]. (1Peter 1:2)
God is working in you to make you willing and able to obey him. Growing in Christlikeness as we live out our days waiting for the return of Christ.
It is God who produces in you the desires and actions that please him. (Phillippians 2:13)
If you pursue goodness, knowledge, self-control, perseverance, godliness, brotherly kindness, and love, you will be fruitful—whatever you try, wherever God calls. Goodness means moral excellence or good character. Knowledge the wisdom in the sense of knowing how to act in relationships and duties of life, having spiritual intelligence. Self-control is our desires will be under the Lord's mastery and control. Preserevance is our endurance. Godliness Christ-likeness. Brotherly kindness which is brotherly affection, kindness to our brothers and sisters in Christ. Love meaning that we should not only love the people of God, but love all people. Producing the fruit of goodness is a true mark of godliness. Living one's life with good morals and motives. For this very reason, applying your diligence [to the divine promises, make every effort] in [exercising] your faith to, develop moral excellence, and in moral excellence, knowledge (insight, understanding), and in your knowledge, self-control, and in your self-control, steadfastness, and in your steadfastness, godliness, and in your godliness, brotherly affection, and in your brotherly affection, [develop] love [that is, learn to unselfishly seek the best for others and to do things for their benefit]. For as these qualities are yours and are increasing [in you as you grow toward spiritual maturity], they will keep you from being useless and unproductive in regard to the true knowledge and greater understanding of our Lord Jesus Christ. (1Peter 1:5-8)
Like a branch "in the vine" which produces no fruit, these are people who have attached themselves to the church, but are not connected to the source of life. Cursing the fig-tree, Jesus shows those who bring forth not the expected fruits of grace. In the morning, as they were passing by, the disciples saw that the fig tree had withered away from the roots up. (Mark 11:20)
My Father is glorified and honored by this, when you bear much fruit, and prove yourselves to be My [true] disciples. (John 15:8) The branch needs to be connected to the main part of the plant in order to live. When we deepen our relationship with Jesus we experience His power in our lives. Remain connected to Jesus, because He is the source of our spiritual growth and fruitfulness.
I am the Vine; you are the branches. The one who remains in Me and I in him bears much fruit, for [otherwise] apart from Me [that is, cut off from vital union with Me] you can do nothing. (John 15:5)

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